From route viewer to revenue engine
From route viewer to revenue engine
15-million-user outdoor platform rebuilt for growth. Subscription conversion up 400%. 60% of downloads convert to active users.
TL;DR
TL;DR
RouteYou had millions of customers but a static paywall and a subscription rate around 1%.
November Five rebuilt the experience across four phases, ending with contextual payramps that replaced the hard paywall.
4x Subscription conversion
A modern, compliant React Native stack now ships new features without breaking what works.
ABOUT CLIENT
ABOUT CLIENT
RouteYou is a Belgium-based platform for discovering, planning, and sharing outdoor routes, hosting over 10 million routes and serving 15 million users a year. Founded in 2005, it was acquired by Mediahuis in 2023.
RouteYou is a Belgium-based platform for discovering, planning, and sharing outdoor routes, hosting over 10 million routes and serving 15 million users a year. Founded in 2005, it was acquired by Mediahuis in 2023.
SERVICES
SERVICES
Strategy & discovery
Product design
Mobile development (React Native, iOS & Android)
Data & analytics
Accessibility & compliance (EAA / WCAG 2.1 AA)
QA, observability & CI/CD
YEAR
YEAR
2023 - present
2023 - present
4x
4x
subscription conversion increase
subscription conversion increase
60%
60%
app downloads converting to active users
app downloads converting to active users
15M+
15M+
users on the platform annually
users on the platform annually
THE CHALLENGE
THE CHALLENGE
Millions of active users behind a paywall
Millions of active users behind a paywall
RouteYou had 18 years of routes and 15 million annual users. Its paywall worked against it. Around 40% of new installers dropped off before reaching the home screen, and those who got further hit a single blocking screen instead of an upgrade moment that fit the journey. Subscriptions were the north star, ad revenue was under pressure, and the Mediahuis acquisition raised the stakes. RouteYou Plus was now bundled inside a major European media group's subscriptions, so every rough edge eroded bundle value and added regulatory exposure under the European Accessibility Act. Our hypothesis: conversion would move if the upgrade moment met people where the value was already clear, rather than blocking them at the start.
RouteYou had 18 years of routes and 15 million annual users. Its paywall worked against it. Around 40% of new installers dropped off before reaching the home screen, and those who got further hit a single blocking screen instead of an upgrade moment that fit the journey. Subscriptions were the north star, ad revenue was under pressure, and the Mediahuis acquisition raised the stakes. RouteYou Plus was now bundled inside a major European media group's subscriptions, so every rough edge eroded bundle value and added regulatory exposure under the European Accessibility Act. Our hypothesis: conversion would move if the upgrade moment met people where the value was already clear, rather than blocking them at the start.
THE SOLUTION
THE SOLUTION
An outdoor companion rebuilt to convert
An outdoor companion rebuilt to convert
The work ran in four connected phases. A 2023 POC showed that a modern mobile experience could move subscription numbers, which led to the full product partnership. Through 2024, we rebuilt the React Native foundations for route discovery, detail views, and turn-by-turn navigation. In H2 2024, we redesigned Plan Route to keep users on the map, using custom bottom sheets, smooth animations, and community content to cut friction. In early 2025, we replaced the static paywall with payramps: contextual upgrade prompts placed at real moments of value, backed by funnel analytics and A/B/C testing.
The work ran in four connected phases. A 2023 POC showed that a modern mobile experience could move subscription numbers, which led to the full product partnership. Through 2024, we rebuilt the React Native foundations for route discovery, detail views, and turn-by-turn navigation. In H2 2024, we redesigned Plan Route to keep users on the map, using custom bottom sheets, smooth animations, and community content to cut friction. In early 2025, we replaced the static paywall with payramps: contextual upgrade prompts placed at real moments of value, backed by funnel analytics and A/B/C testing.
SUCCESS DRIVERS
SUCCESS DRIVERS
SUCCESS DRIVER 1
SUCCESS DRIVER 1
Prove the bet before you build the product
Prove the bet before you build the product
The engagement opened with a 2023 POC to show a modern mobile experience could move subscription numbers, before committing to a full rebuild. That discipline held throughout: foundations, then Plan Route, then payramps. Each phase validated the direction before the next bet. The work shifted from shipping features to owning growth outcomes together.
The engagement opened with a 2023 POC to show a modern mobile experience could move subscription numbers, before committing to a full rebuild. That discipline held throughout: foundations, then Plan Route, then payramps. Each phase validated the direction before the next bet. The work shifted from shipping features to owning growth outcomes together.
SUCCESS DRIVER 2
SUCCESS DRIVER 2
You can't grow a number you don't measure
You can't grow a number you don't measure
We mapped every step beneath the subscription north star: install, login, home screen, payramp views, upgrades. Controlled A/B/C tests on start screens separated product impact from acquisition mix. "40% never reach home" went from a vague worry to a tracked, actionable metric. Decisions moved from opinion to evidence.
We mapped every step beneath the subscription north star: install, login, home screen, payramp views, upgrades. Controlled A/B/C tests on start screens separated product impact from acquisition mix. "40% never reach home" went from a vague worry to a tracked, actionable metric. Decisions moved from opinion to evidence.
SUCCESS DRIVER 3
SUCCESS DRIVER 3
Make compliance a design constraint and not a final checklist
Make compliance a design constraint and not a final checklist
EAA compliance was rated HIGH risk from the start. We worked WCAG 2.1 AA into navigation and planning flows from the first sprint. Shared Maestro tests, Sentry and Firebase monitoring, and Bitrise pipelines kept the React Native stack stable through upgrades. New features ship at pace, with reliability and accessibility intact.
EAA compliance was rated HIGH risk from the start. We worked WCAG 2.1 AA into navigation and planning flows from the first sprint. Shared Maestro tests, Sentry and Firebase monitoring, and Bitrise pipelines kept the React Native stack stable through upgrades. New features ship at pace, with reliability and accessibility intact.
Get in touch
When the digital product you're building is core to your business, the margin for error is different. So is the kind of partner you need.
If that's where you are, let's talk.
Get in touch
When the digital product you're building is core to your business, the margin for error is different. So is the kind of partner you need.
If that's where you are, let's talk.
Get in touch